Contact our office to speak directly with a weight-loss specialist at 808-561-5511.

How Weight-Loss Surgery Can Help You

Weight Loss Surgery: Resolution of Medical Problems

Bariatric surgery achieves excellent long-term weight-loss for morbidly obese patients. In addition, a recent report from the Journal of the American Medical Association has detailed the numerous other health benefits of weight-loss surgery:

· Diabetes is cured in 77% of patients and resolved or improved in 86% of patients. Most patients are off all of their diabetic medications or have significantly reduced doses in the first three months after surgery. Blood sugar glucose levels and Hemoglobin A1c levels usually return to normal or near normal.
· Hypertension (high blood pressure) is cured in 62% of patients and resolved or improved in 78.5%. Most patients are able to reduce their blood pressure medications to a single medication within a few months.
· Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and high triglycerides) is improved in more than 70% of patients.
· Obstructive sleep apnea is cured in 86% of patients.
· Risk of death is decreased by 89%.

Other potential benefits of weight loss surgery include:

· Improvement in arthritis, including a reduction in pain and significantly increased mobility.
· Resolution or improvement of numerous other conditions, such as: skin infections, skin rashes, ankle swelling, obesity-related heart failure, asthma, infertility and lymphedema.
· Improved ability to participate in physical and recreational activities.
· Improved social and economic opportunities.
· Improved sense of well being.

Surgical Weight Loss Center of Hawaii^SM Statistical Surgery Results

Contact our office to speak directly with a weight-loss specialist at 808-561-5511 or toll free at (866) WLS DOCS

Overall experience for all 4 surgical procedures combined: more than 800 patients

	Our Results	National Average*
Length of Stay	2 days	3 days
Readmissions	<1%	-
Reoperations	<1%	-
Infections	<1%	3-12%
Leaks	<0.5%	3%
Pulmonary Embolus (blood clot)	<0.5%	>2%
Death	0%	1-2%

*National Average numbers are reported in large, published series. Our complication rates are lower than all reported series of more than 100 patients.

Our yearly experience exceeds the American Society of Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence guidelines of 125 procedures per year.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Weight-Loss Surgery Results

As the surgery that has been performed longest, and the most common laparoscopic surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has the most thoroughly documented weight-loss results. The laparoscopic Roux-en-Y procedure (or gastric bypass), while more recent than the traditional open gastric bypass, has shown excellent long-term weight loss results. Weight loss 5-10 years after laparoscopic or open Roux-en-Y averages between 62-75% of total excess body weight.

Please Note:
Super morbidly obese patients (BMI >50) experience less dramatic weight loss results with Roux-en-Y surgery. 10-year post-op results for super morbidly obese patients show an average loss of 40-50% total excess body weight. These individuals may want to consider other weight loss procedures.

Duodenal Switch: Weight Loss Surgery Results

Compared to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the duodenal switch procedure achieves superior weight loss results for super morbidly obese patients. Although results for the relatively recent laparoscopic duodenal switch are currently unavailable, 10-year post-op results for the open duodenal switch show an average loss of 75-80% of total excess body weight (even in super-morbidly obese patients). The duodenal switch procedure has the highest cure rate for diabetes.

LapBand® Surgery: Weight Loss Surgery Results

Weight-loss with LapBand® surgery comes about more slowly (2-3 years post-op) than with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or duodenal switch, where patients achieve goal weight as early as 6-12 months post-op. Weight loss results with the LapBand® occur gradually because the weight-loss is achieved with serial adjustments of the LapBand®. The need for adjustments of the LapBand® is determined by cooperation between patient and surgeon. The LapBand® affords weight-loss without dividing the stomach or rearranging the intestinal tract.

Based on studies conducted in Europe and Australia (where LapBand® surgery has a longer history), 10-year post-op results for LapBand® patients show an average loss of 50-65% total excess body weight.

Hawaii Plastic Surgeon Dr. Larry Schlesinger

(http://www.mauibody.com/post-bariatric-surgery)

After your weight loss surgery: Will you require or desire post-bariatric plastic surgery? Laparoscopic and bariatric surgery is powerful--and with that power comes prompt changes to your body's appearance. Often, patients find that following bariatric and laparoscopic surgeries, their skin has not adjusted to their new slimmer body. This condition can be addressed by a plastic surgeon, and the procedures to adjust your skin to its new, slimmer body shape are called "post-bariatric plastic surgery." We work closely with leading Hawaii Plastic Surgeon Dr. Larry Schlesinger. Dr. Schlesinger is Board-Certified with 28 years of plastic surgery experience. We respect him and his work, and give him our highest recommendation. Contact him to learn about post-bariatric surgery.

Regardless of the type of bariatric surgery, patients who lose a significant amount of weight can be cured of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obstructive sleep apnea.